Food-cutter.



PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

H. S. HART.

FOOD CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

5 Hart 7 W w 6 MWQEEWVVJ No. 807,379. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905- H. S. HART.

FOOD CUTTER.

APPLICATION rum) Mn 10, 1904.

2 sums-sum 2.

I I Al 54400144706 g/ard 5.170113 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed May 10, 1904. Serial No. 207,198.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOWARD S. HART, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Food-Cutters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in metal manufactures, and particularly foodcutters and similar constructlons.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of mechanism of this character by giving increased strength to the parts, providing a more economical method of construction and general efficiency of operation.

The adaptation of my invention resides par- 7 ticularly in those portions of a cutter known as the casing, the standard, and the knife and their cooperation.

It consists in constructing these parts of sheet metal, which is reinforced and strengthened by the method of construction and which provides efficiency of operation.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings I have illustrated those portions of a foodcutter which embody the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a food-cutter embodying the improvements of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, showing the knife in position, but omitting the rotary cutter, the forcer, and the clamp.

Fig. 3 shows the approximate form of-iva blank of sheet metal for forming the main body or casing portion of the apparatus. Fig.

forated knife 5, having suitable cutting edges;

the rotary cutter 6, having suitable blades, and the lock-nut 7.

The casing is formed from a blank of sheet metal, approximately as shown in Fig. 3. The two opposite sides are shaped appropriately for forming the two sides lOand 11 of the hopper, the side 10 being the larger to provide an approach to the-forcer, which is mounted on the shaft 4. The forcer is of any suit able construction. One end of the blank is with the opening in the standard-plate.

formed into a flange 12 for attachment in a suitable manner to the standard. Before the sides of the casing are bent up a series of corrugations 13 are formed and arranged spirally in the body to assist in the feeding action of the forcer. These corrugations materially increase the strength of the casing. The blank must of course be suitably dimensioned to provide for the metal which is used to form the corrugations and the hopper. The two edges of the blank when formed into the casing are secured together in suitable manner as, for instance, by riveting. The joint being at the top, there is no danger of the juices of meat, &c., being lost. The end of the casing opposite the standard provides a support for the knife 5. This su pport is preferably formed by enlarging the diameter of the casing at this point. This forms a shoulder 15, against which the knife rests. 16 is 2. lug preferably made from the material of the casing and bent inward into part is cut out to form the knife 5. The flange of the casing may be riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the standard. The

lower end 22 of the standard is bent inwardly to form a support for the clamp-screw 3, while the two side arms of the standard are bent inward to form feet 23 23 for resting on the top of a table or similar construct-ion. These feet are reinforced by corrugations 24 24. As a simple means for clamping the standard to a table or other structure I have provided the clamp-screw 3 with a handle 30 and head 31. 32 is a screw-threaded plug which is secured to the lower arm 22 of the standard for hold- I ing the screw.

The forcer or screw is of any suitable construction and may be driven by a handle or wheel on the end 40. I have preferably formed the left-hand end of the forcer with a shoulder 41, which is of a size to correspond The portion which is cut out from the standard is used to form the knife 5. The diameter of this knife is slightly greater than the inside diameter of the casing, as above mentioned. The opening in the standard is therefore of larger diameter than the inside diameter of the casing, leaving a shoulder formed by the ICC smaller diameter of the flange 12 around the same when assembled. This shoulder afforded by the left-hand flange 12 of the casing forms an abutment for the shoulder 41 of the forcer, so as to hold the forcer from movement in that direction. The pressure of the material which is being cut as it passes from the casing tends to react and move the forcer to the left, thus relieving the forcer at the left-hand end of all friction except that eccentric pressure occasioned by the driving power applied. The cutter 6 is held securely in position by the set-nut 7 The resistance of the material passing through the openings and between the knife and the cutter tends to separate them, so as to seat the knife and move the cutter outward. The pressure due to the rotation of the forcer tends to move it to the left, while the pressure due to the cutting of the material tends to move the cutter to the right. These counterbalancing forces hold the knife securely in place on its seat. The knife, however, being free to move, slightly yields to the cutter, so as to cooperate with it in whichever direction either one wears, so as always to afford uniform cutting edges.

The parts are readily disassembled by simply moving the set-nut 7, when the forcer may be withdrawn to the left. The parts are assembled by introducing the forcer into the casing, putting the knife in place, slipping the cutter 6 over the end of the forcer-shaft, and securing the parts together by the setnut 7.

What I claim is 1. In a food-cutter, a casing formed from a single blank of sheet metal having its sides formed upwardly into a hopper and united at its upper ends at the side of the hopper, its body having spirally-formed corrugations, an annular flange at one end, a standard having an annular flange riveted to said casing-flange and means at the other end for mounting a knife and cutter.

2. In a food-chopper the combination of a casing having a hopper, a standard formed of sheet metal and having an opening surrounded by an annular flange secured to one end of said casing, a forcer extending through the opening in said standard, a knife mounted in the end of said casing opposite said standard and concentric with said forcer, said knife being at least as small as and so constructed that it may be formed of the sheet metal cut out from the standard portion to form the opening for said forcer.

3. A food-chopper comprising the combination of a casing having an annular flange at one end, a forcer, a knife, a cutter and a standard for supporting said parts formed from a separate blank of sheet metal having an annular flange secured to said casing-flange and having a reinforced main arm with means for clamping and a pair of inwardly-turned reinforced feet for the purpose specified.

4:. A casing for a food-cutter formed from a single blank of sheet metal, and comprising a substantially cylindrical body portion having an annular flange at each end, the edges of the blank being brought together and united at the top of said cylindrical portion only, and a hopper portion integral with the body portion intermediate the ends thereof, and opening upwardly, said flanges affording means for mounting a knife and for the attachment of a standard in combination with a knife arranged at one end and a standard arranged at the other end of said body portion.

5. A food-cutter comprising the combination of a casing, having a substantially cylindrical body portion and an open-mouthed hopper, an annular flange at one end of the body portion, a forcer mounted to rotate in the body portion and having a hub projecting from the flanged end of the casing, a knife and a cutter at the opposite end, a standard formed of sheet metal and having an annular portion secured to the flanged portion of said body through which the hub projects, and

three downwardly-extending vertically-reinforced legs with laterally-extending feet, and clamping means for the purpose specified.

Signed at New Britain, Connecticut, this 7th day of May, 1905.

HOWARD s. HART.

WVitnesses:

M. S. WIARD, CHAS. E. RUSSELL. 

